Another Tuition factor that benefits UC. Is the co-op program. After I began co-oping, the money I would make on co-op would be used to pay tuition for the next quarter. Made it really easy to pay for school that way and graduate with little to no debt.
Both are really great schools with solid programs. I have worked with people from VA and we just recruited from UC. A few things that I have noticed just off the top of my head has been that VA is more technical and you get a good sense of engineering. One of the guys that I worked with went on to do medical products and now he is at Giant bikes. UC on the other hand is a bit more strategic. They teach you to look more broadly than just the product and has started to teach in a more user centered approach. Because of this as Yo mentioned consultancies such as frog and corporations such as ours look to them.
It all depends on what you interests are. Either way you will get a great education.
J
Edit: The Co-op program at UC is really great.
Couldn’t give you specifics on tuition or benefits - I got none when I went to Tech, but I was a degenerate with mediocre grades haha. If you can land a major scholarship to one school, then that should easily be the route you take - both are great programs and debt sucks.
As far as money, I was lucky enough to keep freelance gigs doing web design throughout college so that helped pay the bills, though I never landed an internship (though that was my fault, not the schools).
Either school is going to be a strong program - if you haven’t visited UC yet that’s probably a good trip to take. Other people can throw in anecdotes but like I said it should be about getting a good education, a good value (200k of debt when you graduate is no fun at all), and be the kind of environment you are going to fit in and enjoy. That’s one reason I chose a tech school rather than an art school in the first place - I knew my personality would fit better with the likes of the nerd kingdom at a tech school rather than the poetry reading hipsters at an art school. 
Coming from VT’s program, would I have any hope of working at companies like these? Or would my chances be slim? I know most of it is based off your portfolio, not where you went to school. But would coming from Virginia Tech put me at a disadvantage?
This is the least of your worries. Like we mentioned, BOTH schools have great programs. What you get out of college and where you end up in you career is all up to you. Your schooling is just a small piece of the puzzle. The larger piece of the puzzle is you. If you want to work at a large consultancy and have the drive to do it, then you will get there. It takes dedication and focus in school. There is also that talent thing… 
J
@ planes42
As PackageID said, both schools really do have great programs. VT is a bit younger, but it is a strong program that is only getting better each year. It’s amazing how much progression I saw in the four years I was there. There’s a lot going on currently that is helping the program move into a more dynamic position to fill the personal needs and wants of each student. If you want more sketching classes, they’re there, if you want more CAD classes, they’re there, design research, manufacturing, etc. You really do have a lot of control over the type of designer you want to develop into, which can be catered towards the type of firm you would like to work for: corporate, consultancy, international consultancy, boutique, whatever.
To answer your question “Coming from VT’s program, would I have any hope of working at companies like these?” Yes, you would. I graduated from VT’s ID program in May and am currently interning at frog’s office in SF for the next 6 months. It honestly comes down to 1. How hard you work/how much time you put into your projects 2. making design a lifestyle and 3. Networking. I cannot stress how important networking is, as well as having a strong portfolio. Either program would be a good decision in my opinion.
If you want to talk on the phone or by email don’t hesitate to shoot me an email at qhuffstetler@gmail.com
Quinn
- making design a lifestyle
+1 Without this, the other two will not happen. Design is more than just a job, and to become good at it, it has to become part of you. You can pin point the ones that do it just for money, and tend to be not that great.
J
I got hired (based on a connection through VT) within 2 months of graduating, and am still at that job today.
You work hard, you get jobs - simple as that. The biggest selling point you’ve mentioned so far would be the ability to get a large scholarship. That would be a deal changer but you’d have to talk to the actual bursars office at each school to confirm the specifics.
How does housing for UC co-op internships work out financially? When working at a firm in a big city like San Francisco, wouldn’t your rent end up costing more than you earned at the internship? Or do companies usually provide somewhere for their interns to stay?
The average is probably around $15/hr. That’s around $7k a co-op (10-12 weeks). Just to give you an idea.
It varies based on the job. Some corporate jobs provide a place to stay or discounted living. I would say most companies don’t provide housing for you and you go out and find your own. Everyone goes through this process and is in similar situations so lots of us end up getting together and finding places on co-op to bring the cost of living down. We had 4 people in a 2 bedroom apartment when I was in SF. Brought the rent down low. You learn ways to save money and make it through. I would say generally you’ll get paid enough to cover living expenses.
That said, it’s not really about the money. You learn so much and the networking really helps as well. I can’t really express how valuable those experiences are and to be given the chance to do this while in school was the reason I chose to attend UC. It goes a long way, but you still have to work hard own your own to get the internships you want. It’s competitive inside our program itself and very competitive put up against the rest of the applicants.
sent from my phone…
Another thing I liked about Virginia Tech was the cool trip to India one professor has been taking students on for the last few years. It looks like an amazing opportunity where you could get some great work experience. Have any VT students/grads here been on that trip, or can anyone tell me more about it? For example, how do you get the chance to go?
Akshay runs the India trip , he wasn’t doing it when I was in school but as far as I know it would probably be open to any student in the upper studios. There is also usually a design summer abroad in Europe available at some point in time. Would’ve loved to do all that stuff while I was in school, but I was completely broke. If you wanted more info I could pass you his e-mail or you can find it on the VT faculty site.